Curious about the animal aspect of the farm? If you've been out to pick up veggies recently you've probably noticed the beef herd in various locations eating grass and just hanging out. There are brood cows (aka moms), calves, yearlings, steers, and our current bull, Ricky Baker. The herd never enters the vegetable growing space, but they do rotationally graze around it at various points during the season. Having cows on site has multiple benefits - their role is about much more than just grass fed beef! The herd mimics the bison of yesteryear in the way that enter an area, eat down the vegetation over a short period of time (the better part of a day), deposit their ruminant fertilizer, then move on. On a modern pasture, much like the native prairies, the herd manages the grass with their temporary disturbance and stimulates regeneration with the application of their nitrogen-rich manure. This virtually eliminates the need to mow or fertilize the pasture, and it sets the stage for healthy soils and enough vegetation to support a diverse ecosystem of insects, birds and wildlife. And since diversity is an integral part of a healthy farm organism, it means that the cows are playing an important role in the big picture of the farm.
Since the land can't support an exponentially growing herd, it is necessary to manage the numbers, which results in the availability of some grass fed beef. We see this as a benefit to the farm and our customers, and have taken care to breed our Red Devon cows to a high quality bull like Ricky, who is currently living the dream out there with all the ladies. Breeding season starts after the dust of calving season has settled, and at that point Ricky rejoins the main herd and is with them until later in the year when he moves to join a small group of steers for the winter and spring. All this moving requires thoughtful planning and a great deal of walking to move fences. This is where animal-husband Mat spends a good deal of his time. He cares deeply about the well-being of both the animals and the pasture, and as a result, the farm organism is alive and well.
So when you get your share this week, may you think of green pastures, and of Ricky Baker.
PS: Folks have been inquiring about our egg supply so I will take a moment to address this question. We are currently experiencing production challenges with our laying flock, mostly due to timing and age. Our egg numbers have dropped recently which is resulting in limited availability. If you have a pre-purchased egg share we will make sure that your order is fulfilled. I haven't been able to offer more than a handful additional dozens however, and this situation will continue to grow leaner until we pick up a new flock next month. Once the new girls start to lay we'll be back on track later in the season. We are always striving to get all the details dialed in, but the farm is a work in progress! Thank you for your understanding:-)
